Melville

Together with Parkhurst, Melville is one of the more relaxed of the northern suburbs. When so many shops and restaurants in Jo’burg are tucked away in soulless malls, it’s refreshing to find streets that are pleasant to walk and full of cafés, second-hand bookshops and quirky antique dealers as well as a main drag (Seventh Street) lined with restaurants, bars and clubs for every taste. Melville lost some of its appeal in recent years as restaurants were increasingly replaced by noisy student bars, but new security patrols have been effective in reducing problems.